Covering systems for transport containers, as used to cover containers transported by way of trucks, trailers, and other transport vehicles, serve many useful functions. For example, a transport container cover prevents the load being transported from escaping, and also protects the load from the elements. Since these covers are typically large and heavy, manual manipulation of them can be very difficult. Accordingly various automated covering systems have been developed.
Prior covering systems have often included pivotable, telescopic or fixed length arms mounted on the sides of the transport vehicle. In this type of system, the telescopic arms are attached to an end of the flexible cover and the arms are pivotable in order to deploy the cover over the top of the container.
While generally effective, covering systems using side mounted arms are not easily adapted to certain types of containers and/or transport vehicles. In particular, a type of container sometimes referred to as a "skip container" is typically carried on a truck known as a "retriever" or "load lugger". This type of truck generally includes a pair of lifting arms mounted to the sides of a platform onto which the container is lifted for transport. The position of such lifting arms prevents the use of side-mounted telescopic arms to manipulate a container cover.
In addition, skip containers are often "heaped", such that the load they contain extends higher than the sides of the container. This situation poses a particular problem for covering systems which require the cover to be manually lifted or pulled over the top of the filled container.
Accordingly, for these reasons and others, it would be desirable to have a transport container covering system usable with skip containers and retriever type trucks, and not require side mounted telescopic arms to manipulate the cover. The system should further permit a heaped container to be conveniently covered.